


The Monarch of Midnight

by Repeatinglitanies



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dark Five, Don’t copy to another site, Dubious Consent, F/M, Obsessive Five
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 21:08:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20627573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repeatinglitanies/pseuds/Repeatinglitanies
Summary: The Monarch lived in a manor on top of the hill overlooking Vanya’s village. To this day, no one really knew what he looked like.





	The Monarch of Midnight

The Land of Midnight was a world of its own. For as long as the residents could remember, no one had ever gone past its borders to find out what was beyond it. After all, why would they want to when Midnight had everything they would ever need: food, shelter, safety, family and friends. Almost no one from outside came to visit. Those who did, never left. Not even if they wanted to. And that was all for the best as far as the residents were concerned. 

Remaining hidden and forgotten by the rest of the world meant that no one would come to harm them and destroy everything they’d built.

And this was only possible because of the Monarch of Midnight, whose powers ensured the Land of Midnight remained thriving and protected.

Because of him, everyone living in the land enjoyed peace and safety. They could raise a family without fear of the horrors of the outside world making their way into the Land of Midnight. They could safely expect to die of old age. And with a bountiful land that had never in living memory been ravaged by storms or other natural disasters, parents could almost rest assured that their children need not go hungry as long as their children were willing to earn their keep.

However, everything came at a price. The Monarch may have made their happiness and contentment possible. But the residents never forgot that it came at the cost of complete obedience and more than a few sacrifices.

While he never participated directly in the daily running of the land and its various towns and villages, the Monarch received offerings as if he were a deity. Should he want something done, the deed was accomplished almost immediately. Nothing was considered out of the question as long as the Monarch was the one asking. 

Had his authority been the only reminder of his power, perhaps the people may have learned to love him. But as things stood, they’ve only ever feared him. Because despite the generations of peace and prosperity, there inevitably came instances when young boys needed to be sacrificed to the Monarch. No one really wanted to do it. However, to refuse would risk the ire of the only thing keeping their world from falling apart. 

So when the time came for the Monarch to collect, thirteen boys of his choosing would be offered up without fail. Some supposed this was a small mercy. At least, no one but the Monarch bore the responsibility of selecting the metaphorical lambs to the slaughter.

No one knew if the Monarch had any actual criteria or logic behind his selection. But from long years of experience, elders have remarked that he only chose healthy, thirteen-year old boys. Some parents tried to circumvent having to sacrifice their sons by making them appear sickly and weak. Some even went so far as to make their own child think they were sickly just to better fool their neighbors. But for some, their efforts were in vain.

The Monarch saw past the facade and chose their boys anyway.

Once selected, each boy would not be given a chance to say a final farewell. So every family made sure to do it before the actual time of choosing. That didn’t make it any easier for both the parents and their son. In general, most of the boys went willingly. But there had been enough times when a boy attempted to run away. After the first time this happened, towns and villages were ordered to have a group of men formed solely to guard the boys until the Monarch had finished his selection. 

After thirteen boys have been gathered, they would be taken to the cave containing thirteen separate cells magically constructed to cancel sound, all for the sole purpose of preventing communication. For some reason, the Monarch wanted the boys in complete isolation amid total darkness. What each boy could be thinking in their final moments of life, no one wanted to contemplate. In fact, the image of leaving them in such a desolate place had already sent more than one guard to the madhouse. 

No one knew what happened to the boys given to the Monarch. All that was known was that the Monarch would meet the sacrificial lambs in the cave. And the boys would never be seen nor heard from again.

Those poor children would be mourned, of course. But life would go on. Despite their extreme reluctance, all of the parents and guardians would eventually obey the Monarch’s wishes.

After all, giving their sons up was a small price to pay for safety and security. And as long as they continued to make this sacrifice, they had fewer things to worry about. No invading army would dare try to wreak havoc on their lands. Any crime committed would be dealt with swiftly. And perhaps most telling of all, famine, disease and disasters have become nothing more than a fairy tale in the Land of Midnight.

The only thing the citizens truly did fear was the Monarch himself. Some had witnessed firsthand how he dealt with criminals. Midnight held no jails or dungeons. The Monarch only had one permanent solution that ensured an offender never repeated his crimes.

And in the Land of Midnight, word gets around quickly.

The Monarch lived in a manor on top of the hill overlooking Vanya’s village. To this day, no one really knew what he looked like. The elders say that the Monarch had some sort of glamour that made it impossible for anyone to describe what they were seeing. Magic was the only way they could explain being able to recognize him even though they couldn’t pinpoint a single defining feature that identified him as the Monarch. Though some would say, it was exactly the lack of definition that made people aware of who was in front of them. 

When they were younger, Quentin would tell Vanya that the Monarch wasted his powers on glamour. He didn’t need it. Everyone was so afraid of their benefactor that they didn’t even dare raise their head to him, much more look him straight in the eye. 

Quentin never did have a high opinion of the adults whether they be village elders or even the Monarch himself. Vanya used to be afraid for him, especially when he would openly criticize the Monarch. 

According to Quentin, the Monarch only had the manor built on the highest point of Midnight just so he could lord it over everyone. The manor also stood as a reminder that he was watching over everyone, and not always for the purpose of protecting them. 

But for all his irreverence and arrogance, Vanya loved him. Quentin had always been the smart one, the brave one, the one who did not fear taking chances, the one who wanted to know what was beyond the Land of Midnight. On more than one occasion, Vanya felt that he was the only one who really saw her.

Being a foundling discovered near the outskirts of Midnight’s borders, no one knew who her parents were. And since no one ever came forward to claim her, the village considered Vanya to be an outsider.

Unlike her, Quentin and the other children living in the home for orphans at least had parents who were known to current residents. Thus, the residents usually did not hesitate to interact with the other orphans. 

But Vanya was singled out as different due to the fact that no one knew her true identity. Hence most adults in Vanya’s village would either keep a wary eye on her (as if she were some sort of animal that was likely to turn feral) or totally ignore her existence (as if she were someone beneath notice).

Soon enough, the children, even fellow orphans, followed the example set by the adults. It got so bad that there came a time when only Quentin bothered to spend any time with her. Unfortunately, not as much as she would have wanted. Because all the adults who happened to see them together went out of their way to keep them apart, usually by assigning them separate chores.

It was a good thing Quentin listened to no one but himself. He had a tendency to disobey rules or direct orders he deemed stupid. Despite of the disapproval it garnered, he stayed with her when other children left her out of their games. He taught her how to read and to climb trees. He shared with her the best places to hide and the likeliest places to search for those in hiding. 

During the nights when she felt so lonely she thought she might just disappear, he would never turn her away when she asked to lie down beside him. In fact, he would simply make a place for her on his narrow cot and tuck her in with him.

For a few years, Vanya had thought she might have a future with Quentin. Growing up as the designated outsider made her desire a family of her own. She came to believe that a husband and children would somehow make the others see her as one of them. Failing that, she would at least have people who would love her..

In her most secret of fantasies, she and Quentin would grow up and marry. Learning a trade wasn’t hard for Quentin. And Vanya was one of their caretaker Grace’s most diligent students. Vanya may not have been a natural at housework. But she wasn’t afraid to work at it. 

Vanya wasn’t really sure how Quentin really felt about her. But she would like to think he felt the same way. And that he wouldn’t mind making a family with her. Each day, she tried to build up her courage. She wanted to ask him directly to find out. Because if he shared the same sentiments, then all they had to do was wait a few more years until they could legally live on their own. And then they would be officially husband and wife.

Living in the Monarch’s lands meant that abject poverty was basically unheard of. As long as they were willing to work, there would be enough for them to live on to thrive and start a family. Unfortunately, Vanya never did get to ask Quentin of his plans for the future and if it had her in it.

At the orphanage, Vanya was assigned the same birthday as six other children which included Quentin. For obvious reasons, no one knew the date of her birth. Out of pity, Grace chose the date with the most birthday celebrants just so Vanya would feel like she was part of something. On the day she and Quentin turned thirteen, the Monarch announced a new round of selections.

Quentin was quick to tell her that he was unlikely to be chosen. But the worried look on his face told Vanya that he was trying to reassure himself just as much as he was trying to calm Vanya down. Nonetheless, he wanted no farewells. 

Vanya had wished she insisted. Because the Monarch took Quentin the very same day. She tried to hold on to him. But the guards managed to separate them in no time at all. Quentin had to be dragged away from her in his attempt to at least give her a final goodbye.

The villagers locked her up in a cellar for a whole night. By the time morning came, her throat was raw with screaming. Her nails and fists were bloody and broken in her attempt to get out. But nothing matched the pain of knowing she couldn’t do anything to save Quentin.

In the days that followed, she had tried to find out where the cave was located. A part of her entertained the thought that there may be a chance Quentin was still alive. And that she might still be able to rescue him. But as the days turned into weeks and then into months and years, her hope slowly dwindled to nothing. The final nail to the coffin came when she managed to convince one of the previous guards to take her to the cave, only to encounter first hand that the Monarch had placed an enchantment on it, preventing people from entering.

Ever since losing Quentin, everyone treated her with more kindness than she knew what to do with.

Vanya was no longer treated like a complete outsider. As if losing someone to the Monarch of Midnight immediately made her a citizen of Midnight in truth. This was despite the fact she had lived there all her life. This wasn’t to mean the she gained many friends. Most of the villagers still kept their distance. But any lingering distrust towards her dissipated. 

Vanya recognized they weren’t complete monsters. They felt guilty for using Quentin to ensure the village remained protected and at peace. On some level, she could understand why they did what they did. It wasn’t out of malice. They simply wanted peace and stability. 

That didn’t mean she could fully forgive them.

So it was that the only overture of friendship she actually accepted was from Allison, who shared the same birthday and previously wanted nothing to do with her. At least, Allison wasn’t one of the adults who let Quentin go to what they themselves saw as a fate worse than death. 

Initially, Vanya thought Allison had some ulterior motive. Perhaps, she only wanted to gain more popularity and approval by pretending to be friends with the outsider who lost her only friend. Vanya would have been lying had she said the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. But over time, Allison proved to be a steadfast and loyal friend, making sure Vanya wasn’t left alone for too long and patiently listening whenever Vanya felt like sharing her sorrow. They became as close as she imagined sisters would be.

For Allison, it took seeing a heartbroken Vanya who wouldn’t eat or sleep to realize that excluding and avoiding Vanya for no reason was wrong. So she reached out, even as Vanya at first tried to push her away.

It was Allison who managed to coax Vanya into leaving the spiral of self-destruction that started after Quentin was taken away. 

Vanya had tried to move on. Some days, it seemed she was successful. Vanya found that by keeping busy with chores and taking care of the younger orphans, she managed to pass the time without once thinking about Quentin and how she lost him. But on other days, not so much. 

The Monarch’s shadow loomed large. His manor was just within her range of sight. And all thoughts that start with the Monarch of Midnight eventually lead back to what happened to Quentin. And how powerless she was to do anything about it. Maybe the villagers were right and the Monarch was only doing what he had to do to protect Midnight. But that didn’t stop Vanya from hating him. Because why did the Monarch have to choose Quentin? There were so many boys in Midnight. But Vanya only had Quentin.

Vanya would always feel guilty whenever she came upon that thought. It was selfish after all. If Quentin hadn’t been chosen, then some other boy would be lost to his family and friends. And she couldn’t truly wish that on another person.

She thought of moving to a town or another village. But she didn’t have the heart to do it. There was a part of Vanya that still hoped Quentin might return somehow. And she worried that should that time come and she wasn’t around to greet him, he would leave and never come back.

Without Quentin, her previous dreams of having a family of her own was put permanently on hold. There had never been anyone she loved as much as him. Not that any man actually approached her. For some reason, the other villagers were even more discouraging of men that showed even the slightest bit of interest in her.

Sometimes, it was a relief. Other times, she felt like she was destined to be alone and quietly cried herself to sleep.

Seven years after Quentin’s selection, Allison married Quentin’s brother, Luther. Vanya was happy for her but couldn’t help but feel the ache of grief and loss. Seeing Allison looking radiant in her wedding dress beside a man who clearly adored her made Vanya contemplate on all the things that could have been if Quentin had been there with her.

That same night, Vanya felt like a traitor for wishing to have someone, anyone look at her the way Luther gazed at Allison. But at the same time, she wished she was like the heroines in the books who would rather spend the rest of their lives alone rather than settle for someone they didn’t truly love. But Vanya knew herself. She was weak. If a stranger asked for her hand in marriage, she truly didn’t know if she would refuse.

After all, if someone as feared as the Monarch could have a consort (and according to records, the last of four recorded consorts passed away twenty years ago), why couldn’t she have someone to spend the rest of her life with?

She had probably drank too much that night. And before she knew it, she wandered to the bathing pool which was really just what villagers called the lake in the middle of the nearby forest. For some reason, it seemed like a good idea to take off her clothes and take a swim. So that was exactly what she did.

Vanya had not been in the water long when she noticed a stranger nearby, staring straight at her.

Under normal circumstances, this would have prompted her to cover herself or to scream for help. But for some reason, she simply stared back even as the man undressed and made his way to her.

He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. 

And Vanya knew then that she was dreaming. Because he was how she imagined Quentin would look like as a grown adult. 

So when he got near enough, she spent little time on hesitation. Vanya wrapped her arms around him as she marveled how wide his shoulders were. He was hard on all the places she was soft. And his touch sent pleasure tingling throughout her body.

She had never been with anyone like this before. And Vanya was amazed by how uninhibited she was being with a complete stranger. Perhaps it was the alcohol or her loneliness. In any case, Vanya was too busy exploring the contours of this man’s body to think too deeply on her actions especially when her companion seemed just as desperate to have her. 

Before she knew it, Vanya had her legs hooked around his middle as they both caressed, licked and sucked whatever patch of skin within reach. She could feel the wetness between her legs and she wondered how he would feel inside her. 

As far as Vanya was concerned, he was free to enter her body while they were submerged in water. It was faster that way. But the man had other ideas. He carried Vanya back to dry land and laid her down on his discarded pile of clothing. 

She felt like a wanton for immediately spreading her legs to him. But to her dismay, he suddenly stopped.

“Are you sure about this? You have to know that there will be no going back afterwards.”

The look he gave her as he posed his question was all at once furtive, hopeful, hesitant and lustful. This was her dream, after all. The place where she could enjoy her most secret of desires. The man in front of her might as well be Quentin.

So of course, she was sure.

Vanya took his hand as he used the other to prepare his entry. The twinge of pain that bloomed as he penetrated her was a shock. But it didn’t stop her from urging him on, from tasting the sweat from his brow or from placing her tongue inside his mouth in reciprocation to how his cock entered the space between her legs.

It was such a good dream. 

Which was why she was bewildered and a little embarrassed to find the man still beside her when she woke up the next morning. 

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the most surprising thing to have happened that day. 

Despite assuring him she could manage on her own, he helped her dress and accompanied her back to the village where she was greeted by bowed heads and a mixture of awe and fear. When she reached the orphanage, she found all her belongings packed for her.

“What’s happening?”

But Vanya felt foolish as soon as she asked it. There was only one man who inspired such reaction from every last one of the villagers. 

The man she had given her virginity to was the Monarch. And by the looks of it, she was going back to his manor with him.

She was now his new consort.

In her shock, she didn’t bother to question how she didn’t recognize him in the first place.

\-------------

The girl, Vanya, had power. And she didn’t even know it. Just as his predecessor said, spending merely a night with her had already strengthened the shields protecting the Land of Midnight. And previously barren patches of land on the outskirts of Midnight had become fertile again. 

She also seemed to have developed an immunity to the glamour. It was certainly a pleasant surprise to find out she didn’t initially fear and loathe him like she did the old Monarch.

To be honest, Number Five would have still taken her even if she were merely an ordinary villager.

His earliest memory was being trapped in complete darkness with an old man who introduced himself as the Monarch of Midnight calling him Number Five. Because he was the fifth of thirteen boys he had chosen for a special mission. One that required them to leave the land of Midnight, travel the wasteland beyond it and kill those who threaten to invade and disturb the peace that the Monarch had so carefully maintained.

Not that any of them had a choice in the matter. The Monarch had the power to instantly transport them outside of Midnight’s protective shield. And seeing the contrast of lush green vegetation from the arid wasteland beyond Midnight was enough to motivate the boys to do anything to get back. But the Monarch offered more incentive. At least to Five, it was an added incentive.

The Monarch promised to bequeath power on those that succeeded their mission. That and the hand of a girl named Vanya, who the old man promised would remain “pure” until they got back.. At first, Five didn’t really care about the girl.

That is, until the old man conjured an image of her.

The image lasted for barely a few seconds. But something about Vanya drew him to her. Something about the shape of her eyes and the curve of her face. Five couldn’t explain it. But from the first time he saw her, Five knew he wanted her. And that he would not allow any of the other boys to have her.

So he wandered the wasteland in search of the prey the old man directed him to kill. Living outside Midnight for seven years gave him an appreciation for trees, fields and open bodies of water. Because surviving the wasteland was no small feat. He promised himself that when he got back, he would ensure the land of Midnight never ended up like the wasteland. 

Given how expansive the land beyond Midnight was, Five would look back and be amazed at how quickly he found his target.

They called the white-haired bitch many names. But she preferred to be called the Handler. In order to assassinate her with enough opportunity to escape safely back to Midnight, he had to bide his time. The Handler was no fool and wouldn’t give a boy who seemingly came from nowhere a position of trust beside her. 

So it took years of working for her group in order to impress her and gain her confidence. A part of him admired her for her sharp instincts and almost uncanny ability to assess people in mere seconds. But he also resented the Handler for taking too much of his time.

Five wanted to meet Vanya. The sooner, the better.

When he finally managed to terminate the Handler, he was a little angry to find that the old man had instantly transported him back to the cave. Had he known this, the Handler would have been dead much earlier.

But at least he was back inside the borders of Midnight. He would have been overjoyed had he not noticed the other boys, who were now grown men, back there with him. All in all, there were only three of them left out of the original thirteen.

But Five bristled at the thought of having to share Vanya. 

Thankfully, the Monarch only wanted one survivor. And Five wasted no time to fulfill his wishes. He killed the last of the boys turned men. And then he turned on the Monarch.

From the look on the old man’s eyes, the Monarch had actually been expecting it. But he let Five take away his life. But not before imparting some information and condescending words of wisdom. To be honest, Five barely paid attention to anything unless it had something to do with Vanya. 

The old Monarch passed away. And the Monarch’s powers immediately soon after became Five’s own.

Five became the new Monarch, tasked with protecting the land of Midnight. He wasted no time finding Vanya. He was so eager to make her his that it actually surprised him that he hesitated at the most critical moment.

For some reason, it became important to Five that Vanya agree to their joining. It was ridiculous considering Five grew up taking what he wanted because survival warranted it. No one asked for permission in the wasteland because there was only one possible answer and it usually involved the use of a deadly weapon.

And yet, he gave Vanya a chance to refuse him. Five honestly didn’t know if he would have honored her wishes should she have chosen not to go through with it.

But there was no point speculating about it when she actually agreed. And gave Five everything he ever wanted. 

There was certainly no going back for Vanya now. 

He knew that his fixation for her was bordering on obsession. A weakness that could be exploited. The land of Midnight was mostly composed of sheep. But that didn’t mean there were no wolves hiding in plain sight who were seething at being made to obey the Monarch’s or rather his every command. 

But just as there was no going back for Vanya, there was no turning back for him either. True, he loved the feel of her around him. But he suspected that it was more than animal attraction that kept him so fascinated with Vanya.

With time, he was confident he’d discover the reason. He was the Monarch now. And that meant nothing was beyond him. He may not be able to find out as soon as he would have liked. But that was all right. Vanya was his consort now. He could wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Not really happy with how it turned out. But I think I'm done trying to edit it. So there it is


End file.
